Fence-wire stretcher



(No Model.)

Rm E H .w GE. .Nm ms .m VI .IWV ZE C `N E F Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

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vUNITED STATI-is PATENT OFFICE.

ZADOC V. LONG, OF PEORA, NEBRASKA.

FENCE-Wl RE'` STRETCHER-1 SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IEatentV No. 417,431, dated December 1'7, 1889.

Application tiled March 9, 1889. l

To all whom it may concern: I

Beit known that I, ZADoc V. LONG, of Peoria, in the county of Knox and State of 'Nebraska, have invented a new'and useful Improvement in Fence Vire Stretchers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Myvinvention has for its object to provide a fence-wire stretcher simple and durable in construction, whereby the wire may be conveniently stretched beyond' the posts and stapled or otherwise attached to the said posts .while stretched without hinderance; and a further object of the invention is to provide a device whereby when the wire is stretched from left to right, or vice versa, the clamps holding the wire may be always tu1lned uppermost by turning the draw-bar on y.

Another` object of the invention is to provide a device which will facilitate the operation of drawing together two ends of wire between posts.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the several parts constituting thedevice, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar igures or lettersof reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is an end View of the guide-clamps. Figfirepresents a side elevation and end view of one of the jaws; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the pressure-clamps, and also a bottom plan view of the thumb-screw of said clamp.

In carryingout the invention a draw-rod 10 is held to slide freely in the sleeve 11, which sleeve is provided at one end with an outwardly-bent hook 12 and a second hook 13 at or near the center and in horizontal alignment with the end hook. The sleeve may be given any desired exterior contour; but the surface between the hooks 12 and 13 is preferably ilattened, as shown at 14 in Fig. 1, for contact with the flat surface of the fencepost 15. The sleeve is held in transverse engagement with the post by a length of chain Serial No. 302,608. (No model.)

' 16, passing around one face of the post and having its extremities secured to the said hooks'. The draw-rod is provided at one end with a guide-clamp 17, consisting of a plate a, secured tothe rod and having its outer extremity enlarged at one side, as best shown at a .in Fig. 1, which enlargement projects beyond the rod. In the enlargement a a threaded aperture is produced, and at one side over the rod a vertical flange o? is formed. The clamp is completed by a thumb or wing screw 18, introduced into the aperture, the head of which screw is adapted to bear upon the ange a2. Upon the same side of the draw-rod to which the guide -clamp is secured one. or more pressure-clamps 19 are attached at each side of the center of the said rod. Each pressure-clamp consists of a plate attached longitudinally to the rod, which plate is provided with a vertical extension 20 at one side in horizontal alignment with the ange a2 of the guide-clamps. This vertical extension 20 is provided with a threaded aperture, through which a thumb or wing screw 21 is passed, the inner surface of the head of which screw is corrugated or provided with notches 22, converging toward the center, as best illustrated in Fig. 5, the said roughened surface of the head being adapted for contact with the contiguous face of the vertical extension 20. The said surface is roughened in order that a strong hold may be obtained upon the Wire 23 to be drawn or tightened.

Upon the side of the sleeve 11 opposite to that having the attened surface, and preferably near one end, a pressure-clamp 24 is pivoted, similar in construction to the pressure-clamps rigidly secured tothe drawrod.

The draw-rod 10, before being introduced into the sleeve 11,is passed through two jaws 25 and 2G, which ljaws consist of suitable plates or castings b, each having'produced in it a diagonal bore b', of a diameter essentially equal to the diameter of the draw-rod, as best illustrated in Fig. 4. The jaw 25 is made to extend beyond one side of the draw-rod, and is connected at or near its extremity by a link 27 with a lever 2S, fulcrumed upon the under face of the sleeve 11. The jaw 26 is carried horizontally outward upon the opposite side of the draw-rod, and is connected by IOO a shorter link 29 to the said lever 28. 'lhus the two jaws are pivotally connected with the lever, one at each side of the fulcrum of the latter, as best shown in Fig. 1.

The jaws are normally held in engagement with the draw-rod by springs 30, attached to the links and bearing against one edge ot the said jaws adjacent to the bore b therein.

In operation the wire to be stretched is passed through the guide-clamp 17 between the screw and the flange a2, whereby the said wire is loosely guided and kept parallel with the rod, thereby avoiding any twisting of the stretcher. The wire is then carried parallel with and over the rod between the roughened or serrated heads of the screws 21 and the pressure-clamps, which screws are made to bear upon the wire and bind the same against the clamp-extensions 20. The wire having thus been duly secured to the rod, the lever 2S is then worked alternately from the left to right, whereupon the jaws 25 and 26, which are held in their respective places by the sprin gs 30, propel the rod past the post, and thereby gradually tighten or stretch the wire. Then the wire has been sufficiently stretched, a staple may be introduced over the wire in front of the post, driven into the post, and secured thereto; or the wire may be secured to the post in any other suitable orapproved manner. Before fastening the wire to the post the pivoted pressure-clalnp 24 may be brought to face in the direction with the other pressureclamps 19 and the wire be secured therein, whereupon the thumb-screws 2l of the fixed pressure-clamps maybe released from contact with the wire. The clamp 24 is pivoted for the convenience of the operator, in order that he may turn the machine half-way over to draw the wire either from left to right, or vice versa, and still have all the clamps of the wire turn upward. This clamp 24 is also thus made in order to hold the wire when partially stretched and a new hold has to be taken.

lVhen it is desired to draw two ends of wire together between the posts, one end of a wire, after being passed through the guide-clamp, is secured in the contiguous pressure-clamp 19 and the opposed end of wire is securely fastened in the pivoted clamp 24:.

If the operator desires to stretch the wire from right to left, the entire device is inverted. The draw-bar is then given about a half-revolution, thus bringing the clamps that hold the wire uppermost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a sleeve and devices for securing said sleeve to the fencepost, of a draw-rod sliding in said sleeve, a lever fulcrumed upon the sleeve, j aws engaging the rod connected with and operated by the lever, and clamps attached to the rod, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a sleeve and devices, substantially as shown and described, for securing the said sleeve tothe fence-post, of a rod held to slide in the sleeve, provided with a guide-clamp and a series of pressureclamps upon one side, a lever fulcrumed upon the sleeve, and jaws engaging with the rod and pivotally connected with the lever, one

at each side ot the fulcrum, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with a sleeve provided 1 with a pressure-clamp pivoted to one side, and fastening devices, su bstantially as shown and described, connected with the opposite side, of a draw-rod held to slide in the sleeve, a guide-clamp secured at one end of the said rod, pressure-clamps attached to the rod in alignment. with the guide-clamp, a lever fulcrumed upon the sleeve, and jaws engaging with the rod and pivotally connected with the lever, substantially as shown and described.

el. The combination, with a sleeve provided at one side with an end and an intermediate hook and a chain connecting the said hooks, a lever fulcrumed upon the under side of the said sleeve nearone end, and a pressure-clamp pivotally secured to the side of the sleeve opposite to that carrying the hooks, of a drawrod held to slide in the sleeve, provided with longitudinally-aligning guide and pressure clamps secured thereto, and jaws engaging with the rod and pivotally attached to the lever, one at each side of the fulcrum-point, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with a sleeve and means forv securing the same to a fence-post, of a draw-rod held to slide in the sleeve, a lever fulcrumed upon the said sleeve, jaws engaging with the rod, consisting of a plate provided with a diagonal bore, links connecting the said jaws and the lever, springs attached to the said links and bearing upon the jaws, and guide and pressure clamps rigidly secured to one side of the draw-rod, all combined for operation substantially as shown and de scribed.

ZADOC V. LONG.

lVitnesses:

HILO A. BLAIR, GEORGE C. WALToN.

IOO 

